Nissan GT-R gets steroid treament

THE world's newest supercar is already getting the steroid treatment. In case the performance of the new Nissan GT-R is not good enough – it has lapped Nurburgring in Germany only two seconds slower than a Porsche 911 GT2 turbo – it has been put on a power-up program.

The GT-R V-Spec model should be on sale in Japan late next year, months ahead of the first regular deliveries in Australia. Nissan is promising something special, even beyond the 353kW and 588Nm of the standard Godzilla.

“It will be a more track-focused model. There will be no more power from the engine, but the car will be lighter and stiffer and therefore faster,” GT-R project chief vehicle engineer Kazutoshi Mizuno says.

Mizuno says the GT-R program has a target of reducing lap times at the Nurburgring each year to stay ahead of the pack of supercars behind it, including the coming Lexus LF/A and born-again Honda NSX.

“Those improvements will come not from power alone, but from improvements in the car's performance and behaviour. This is what we must do,” Mizuno says.

For the V-Spec model, Mizuno says the weight reduction will start with stripping out the rear seat, reducing the GT-R from a 2+2 sports car to a genuine two-seater. There will also be savings in some of the luxury equipment in the standard GT-R, a greater use of carbon fibre and other exotic lightweight materials and the deletion of the Bilstein Damptronic continually adjustable damping system.

“A car such as the V-Spec does not need continuously adjustable damping. That is not a priority for a racetrack,” Mizuno says.

The V-Spec cars will be exclusive; only 20 to 30 a month will be made; and punitively expensive. Nissan sources suggest it will carry a price premium of more than 50 per cent over the standard model. That would mean about $225,000 should it come to Australia.

However, apart from simply adding another layer of exclusivity to the Japanese supercar, the V-Spec GT-R will also push Nissan's dream of getting into the motorsport spotlight.

Nissan global communications vice-president Simon Sproule says they are looking at a range of motorsport roles for the GT-R, though no decision has been taken.

“There are events already earmarked such as the GT500 series in Japan, but that has little global exposure,” Sproule says.

Sproule will not confirm a Le Mans program is being considered, saying only that it's an attractive prospect and several avenues into the event can be explored.